Love At Last
by GCGirl4Life
Summary: Amanda looked up at Carisi. He was so kind to her, and so sweet. Did he like her? She couldn't tell. He seemed to be nice to everybody, but his attention towards her seemed genuine and sincere. "Are you even watching anymore?" Carisi laughed, before looking down at her. He saw how close she was, and the words got lost in his throat. She saw his eyes flicker to her lips...
1. Chapter 1

"I really appreciate you inviting me over for dinner, Amanda," Sonny Carisi said as he and his coworker walked into her apartment. He was toting the grocery bags, and Amanda was carrying her three month old daughter, Jesse, in her car seat.

"What is it that we're having again?" Amanda asked, a hint of amusement in her voice, as she took Jesse's coat off and lifted her out.

"Chicken Carbonara," Carisi laughed, heading into the kitchen. "It's pasta dish with a cream sauce and bacon."

"Sounds delicious," Amanda commented, following him into the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle from the fridge and sat down to feed Jesse at the kitchen table. As the little girl sucked on her bottle, Carisi and Amanda made small talk while he went about the kitchen cooking their dinner. As Amanda watched Carisi move around her kitchen, she couldn't help but think how nice and comforting it was to have him here, cooking dinner for them. She'd grown fond of the Detective over the months, and she slowly found herself falling in love with him.

 _What's there not to like about him?_ Amanda thought to herself as Carisi finished making their dinner, leaving her alone with her thoughts for a few minutes. _He's tall, and handsome, and kind, and passionate about his work, and caring, and he's sweet to Jesse…_

"Amanda, you there?" Carisi laughed.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Amanda asked sheepishly, blushing slightly as she looked up at him. "I was lost in thought."

"I can see that," he laughed again. "I was wondering what you wanted to drink with dinner."

"Water is fine," she told him. He nodded and filled two glasses with water from the sink, then sat down with her, the pasta already in bowls on the table. She ate one handed, bouncing Jesse to sleep slightly as they ate.

"This is delicious, Carisi," Amanda commented, going in for another bite. "Where'd you learn to cook so well?"

"My gram," he shrugged. "Big Italian family, lots of family dinners, you learn a thing or two."

"Well, she taught you well," Amanda said. Soon enough, they'd both eaten all their pasta, and Jesse was fast asleep. Luckily, the little baby was in only a onesie, pants, and socks, so Amanda decided to put her in the crib as she was.

"She's sound asleep," Amanda said quietly, closing her daughter's bedroom door. Carisi was sitting on the couch, flipping through channels on the muted TV. He looked up and smiled at her.

"You wanna watch anything?"

"Maybe the Food Network?"

"Why the Food Network? You don't cook," Carisi laughed.

"I like to watch them create stuff. Bite me," she scoffed, going into the kitchen. "You want a glass of wine? My doctor said it's okay, as long as I don't drink too much and don't drink it every night."

"Sure," Carisi nodded. He finally found the Food Network for Amanda, and put the volume on low.

"What is this?" he asked as Amanda sat down, gesturing to the TV.

"Ooh! Guy's Grocery Games, I love this show!"

"What's it about?"

"These four chefs compete in a cooking game show of sorts. They're in a grocery store, and they have to cook dishes based on the game they play and the ingredients in the store."

"What kind of games?" Carisi asked, confused.

"Well, this one they're playing is Food Wheel," Amanda said, gesturing to the screen. "Guy - the one with the bleached hair there, he's the host – will spin the wheel for the chefs' protein, and then the other one for how much they can spend on other ingredients. They have to make a dish starring that protein, and pair it with whatever they can afford from the store."

"Sounds interesting," Carisi chuckled, taking a sip of his wine. They watched the show together, commenting on things the chefs said or what they were cooking. Amanda was starting to feel warm and fuzzy from the wine, probably because she hadn't drank in over a year, being pregnant with Jesse and all.

"I'll admit, that was a good show," Carisi said. "Now it's my turn," he said, picking up the controller.

"What do you mean?" Amanda asked, looking at him with confusion.

"We're gonna find a movie and watch it."

"Do we have to?" Amanda whined. Carisi laughed and nodded.

"Here, let's watch this," he said, settling on an Ashton Kutcher movie, _No Strings Attached._

As they watched the movie, Amanda found herself leaning closer to Carisi, and Carisi didn't seem to mind. Pretty soon, his arm was around her, holding her close to his side. He was warm, and Amanda leaned into his embrace.

When Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher kissed outside the hospital, Amanda looked up at Carisi. He was so kind to her, and so sweet. Did he like her? She couldn't tell. He seemed to be nice to everybody, but his attention towards her seemed genuine and sincere.

"Are you even watching anymore?" Carisi laughed, before looking down at her. He saw how close she was, and the words got lost in his throat. She saw his eyes flicker to her lips, then back up to her eyes. As they leant in towards each other, Carisi brought his hand up to hold her face. Amanda's eyes dropped to his lips, and before she knew it, he was kissing her. Carisi's kiss was slow, but soft and passionate. He didn't want to push Amanda any farther than she wanted to go, but he wanted her to know he cared about her. Amanda placed a hand on Carisi's chest and gently pushed him back, her forehead resting against his.

"You ok?" he whispered, brushing her cheek with his thumb. She nodded, then looked back up at him.

"Can I tell you something?" she said softly. "And please don't freak out?"

"Of course, you can tell me anything, Amanda," he said, taking her hand in his and squeezing it gently.

"Declan is Jesse's father," she said bluntly. Carisi blinked, but nodded.

"Okay," he said. "I'm guessing he's not involved, given his current situation?" She shook her head, biting her lip.

"I wish he was," she sighed. "I just feel bad for Jesse, she doesn't have a father in her life. I was a daddy's girl, so it just kind of hits me hard, you know?"

"I understand," Carisi nodded. He brushed Amanda's hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear and smiling.

"That's not the only thing I wanted to tell you," Amanda said quietly.

"Okay…"

"Carisi," she sighed, looking up at him. "Getting to know you over all this time has been great. You're so sweet, and kind, and you're good at what you do. And you help me out when no one else does, especially with Jesse. I…" she gulped, but Carisi nodded, giving her reassurance. "I think I've fallen in love with you." Carisi looked into her eyes for a minute, before pulling her into another kiss. This one was deeper, harder, and even more passionate.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting for you to say that," Carisi said when they finally broke apart, out of breath. "I love you, Amanda. God, I love you. Ever since I walked into that squad room, I thought you were beautiful. I found myself falling in love with you over time too. You make my heart stop and go at the same time, and you consume all my thoughts. I love you, Amanda, I really do."

"I love you too," she smiled. She leaned in and gave him a slow kiss. "Do you…wanna stay the night?" she asked.

"I'd love to," he grinned. They turned off the TV and walked to Amanda's room. Amanda changed into a tshirt and pajama shorts, and Carisi changed into his boxers and undershirt. They crawled into bed, and laid there for what felt like hours, just touching each other's faces, smiling, and kissing. Eventually, Carisi turned off the bedside lamp, and pulled Amanda into his arms. They fell asleep in comfortable silence, happy to be in each other's arms.


	2. Chapter 2

_I can't wait for our date tonight_

Carisi smiled at his phone, the text from his girlfriend making his whole day better. They'd been working on a hard case, a child rapist who was escalating, but they finally caught him. Amanda had to stay home today to take care of Jesse, who had an upset stomach, but he'd promised her he'd take his two favorite girls out tonight for dinner. They hadn't told anyone at SVU about their relationship yet, but he was planning on telling Liv before he left tonight, which he'd already cleared with Amanda.

"Alright guys, good work," Olivia said, coming out of her office. "You all can go home. Have a good weekend."

"Hey, Liv, can I talk to you for a sec?" Carisi asked, standing up.

"Sure, let's go into my office." She led him inside, then closed the door. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to tell you something," he started off slowly. "It's been going on for a little while, but I felt as my boss you should know…"

"That you and Rollins are dating?" she smirked. Carisi stopped mid-sentence, mouth open. He blinked a couple times before clearing his throat.

"How did you…?"

"Carisi, I've been doing this longer than you have," she chuckled. "I can sometimes tell these things just by observing."

"Has it been that obvious?" he laughed.

"A little," she smiled. "But, I could tell something had changed after that case with the homeless shelter," she said, taking a seat behind her desk. "I knew you liked her, and that she liked you. It was obvious from the way you all looked at each other. But after that case, and you two came in together the next morning, smiling like teenagers, well, I kind of guessed."

"Well, you guessed right," he grinned, shuffling his feet and looking down. "I don't know what it is, Serge, but something about her just makes my heart race."

"I'm glad you're happy," Olivia said. "Just don't let it affect your work, alright? If it does, I won't reassign you all to different departments, but you won't be allowed to be partners anymore. Ok?"

"You got it." He smiled and turned to open the door. "Thanks, Liv. Have a good weekend."

"You too."

Carisi quickly grabbed his jacket off his chair, swung it around his shoulders, and left, ready to see Amanda and Jesse.

He arrived at their apartment about fifteen minutes later, and knocked on the door.

"Hey," Amanda smiled, opening the door, Jesse on her hip. Carisi leaned in and gave her a quick kiss, walking into the apartment.

"Hey, babe," he smiled. He took off his coat, hanging it on the rack, before turning to Jesse, who was staring at him. "Hey, Jess, how you feeling, sweetie?" he cooed.

"She seems to be doing better," Amanda said, handing Carisi her daughter. "She hasn't thrown up her lunch, but all I gave her was a little bit of formula and some applesauce."

"Well, that's good for her stomach, so that's probably why she hasn't thrown up," Carisi said, gently bouncing the baby. "It's probably just a bug, but I'd keep feeding her lightly for a few more days."

"Will do," Amanda smiled. "I'm just gonna brush my teeth, and then we can go." Carisi nodded, and watched Amanda walk into her bathroom. He caught himself staring at her ass, and quickly regained his composure.

They hadn't had sex yet, but he wanted to so bad. He loved Amanda, though, and didn't want to push her. She'd never said it, but he knew she was sensitive when it came to sex now. After getting pregnant and the man pretty much fleeing, he knew she'd only do it again with somebody she trusted. He just hoped that'd be him one day.

"Ready?" Amanda asked, stepping out of the bathroom. Carisi smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. You want me to carry anything?"

"Um, maybe just the diaper bag? I'll put her in her the car seat and carry her."

"Sounds good," he handed Amanda her daughter, then picked up the pink diaper bag before leaning over and kissing her. "I love you."

"I love you too, Sonny," Amanda said softly, looking into his blue eyes. She put Jesse in her seat, buckled her in, and they left.

Carisi took them to a nice little Italian family restaurant, not too far from the park.

"You know what sounds really good right now?" Amanda said, looking at the menu.

"What's that?" Carisi asked.

"Pizza," Amanda stated. Carisi laughed and nodded.

"Then we'll get pizza," he chuckled. "You want anything on it?"

"Just pepperoni."

"Alright, pepperoni pizza it is." He waved over their waiter and told him they'd split a large pepperoni pizza. As they ate garlic bread, they talked about the case they'd been working on, how Jesse was doing, and what they did that day. Once the pizza arrived, they ate slice after slice and told silly childhood stories.

"Thank you for dinner," Amanda said as they stepped outside, heading back to the car.

"No problem," he smiled, pulling Amanda to him and kissing her temple. "Anything for my girls." Amanda smiled to herself as she pushed the stroller, thinking how nice that sounded, having Carisi call them 'his girls.' She'd never thought about it before, but now that she was with Carisi, she thought it'd be nice to be married one day. As they drove back to her apartment, she thought about what kind of dress she'd wear, if Jesse would be old enough to be a flower girl, where'd they'd have it…

"Amanda, you ok?" Carisi asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"We're at your place, and you haven't moved to get out of the car," he laughed. Amanda looked around and realized that they were in fact in her building's garage.

"Sorry," she said, opening her door. "I was just thinking."

"I could tell," Carisi laughed, grabbing Jesse's car seat and carrying her over to the elevator.

Once they got upstairs, they put Jesse to bed, and watched _The Notebook._ Throughout the movie, Amanda and Carisi's bodies got closer and closer, until eventually they were cuddled up together. Carisi was rubbing small circles with his finger on Amanda's side, his hand creeping under her shirt. His other hand came to rest on her thigh, his thumb stroking over the denim. Amanda shifted slightly in her seat; the close proximity of Carisi's hand on her thigh, in addition to his hand under her shirt, was making her a little, well, _hot._ She turned to look at Carisi, who was watching the movie intently. When she looked back at the screen, she realized it was the sex scene that happened after they got caught in the rain. As she glanced back up at her boyfriend, his jaw was clenched, but the soft touches didn't stop. She looked down at his lap, and realized he had a slight bulge in his pants.

 _Oh my God,_ Amanda thought. _Carisi is turned on!_ She looked back up at him, and had the overwhelming feeling to kiss him. _And so am I._ She took the opportunity to be bold, and straddled Carisi's lap.

"Amanda, what are you…?" he asked, surprised. But he was silenced as Amanda grabbed his face and kissed him deeply, her lips molding to his. Carisi moaned softly, his hands going to rest on Amanda's hips. As they kissed, he slowly turned them and laid her on the couch, laying his body over hers.

"Amanda," he breathed heavily, kissing her neck. "If we don't stop, I'm not gonna be able to control myself," he panted.

"Then don't," she whispered in his ear. He leaned up, looking into her eyes.

"Are you sure?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she smiled. "I trust you, and I love you." Carisi smiled and kissed her tenderly.

"I love you too," he whispered. He stood up and pulled Amanda with him, dragging her to her room. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her again, falling onto the bed. "And I'm gonna treat you right, every day of your life," he mumbled as he rolled them over, kissing her over and over. "I love you, Amanda. I love you, I love you, I love you…"


	3. Chapter 3

_Shit!_ Amanda thought as she read her paper from her doctor. She had just gone in for her yearly physical, and the news she'd gotten was not what she wanted.

As her phone rang, she looked down, and saw Olivia's name across the screen.

"Rollins," she answered. "Where? Okay, I'll meet you all there, I just have to drop Jesse off at the nanny's. Okay. Thanks, Liv." She grabbed Jesse's diaper bag, the baby in her car seat, and headed out.

She arrived at the crime scene about ten minutes later.

"Hey," she said, walking up to Olivia and Carisi. "What do we have?"

"White female, mid-twenties, pushed into an ally behind the dumpster and raped," Carisi told her, gesturing at the dumpster, where the lab techs were taking pictures and collecting evidence. "She's en route to Mercy right now, Fin road along. She was unconscious when the witness found her." Amanda looked to where he was pointing, seeing an older woman in her robe and slippers, still clutching a trash bag, being interviewed by a uniformed officer.

"Go talk to her," Olivia told Carisi and Rollins. "I'll stay with the techs, see if they find anything useful." The two detectives nodded, and walked over to interview the woman. They found out her name was Elaine Oliver, she lived in the building the dumpster was against on the third floor. The girl, Rose Casey, lived next door to her. She worked at the coffee shop down the street, and was paying her way through school, where she was studying film editing. Elaine hadn't heard anything last night, but she called as soon as she found Rose. Her parents lived a few cities over. Rose didn't have a boyfriend, she mostly kept to herself, but she was a very sweet, polite girl. They reported the information back to Olivia, who then instructed them to go search Rose's apartment. They found the landlord in her office, and she led them upstairs and unlocked the door.

Inside, they found a nicely furnished but simple apartment. There was a mismatched couch and armchair in the living room, with a beat up coffee table and old television on a storage cabinet. The kitchen had a couple pots and pans in the sink, and a faded wooden dining table with two chairs. The halls were adorned with family pictures, and the bedroom contained a messy bed on a metal frame, a wooden nightstand, and a dresser against the wall next to the closet.

"It doesn't look like the apartment was broken into," Carisi commented, putting on a pair of gloves.

"Yeah," Amanda agreed. "It just looks like a young girl lives here." They began searching the apartment, but found nothing of interest really. They did however, find her laptop and camera, and took them to the lab techs, who would analyze them for anything that might help their case.

As they got back outside, Amanda suddenly felt dizzy. She clutched the railing to the stairwell, trying to steady herself.

"Rollins, you alright?" Carisi asked, turning around and seeing she was not following him.

"Yeah, I'll be fine…" she said, but before she could finish her sentence, she leaned over the railing and threw up.

"Amanda!" Carisi cried, running back up the stoop. He rubbed her back and grabbed her hand. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said, wiping her mouth. "I…I think I just need to eat something. I haven't eaten yet this morning."

"Alright, well, let's give this stuff to Liv, and then we'll go back to the station, get you some coffee and a donut. Sound good?" She nodded slowly, and they headed back to the ally to their Sergeant. Once they'd given her the computer and camera, they got in their squad car and headed back to the precinct. Amanda made a beeline for the breakroom, grabbing a powdered donut and a cup of coffee.

"Whoa, you alright there?" Carisi laughed, watching her scarf down the donut. "I've never seen you eat that fast."

"Bite me," she mumbled through a mouthful of donut. Carisi laughed, sitting down at his desk and doing some research on their victim.

As the day went on, Amanda felt sicker and sicker. She kept making trips to the bathroom, whether it was to throw up or pee. Her head kept spinning, and she was exhausted. All she wanted to do was eat donuts, and the supply in the breakroom was slowly lessening.

"Isn't that like your fifth donut?" Fin asked, looking up as she came back from the breakroom again.

"Seventh," Carisi said. "She ate two before you got back."

"I'm hungry," Amanda snapped, sitting down at her desk. "Excuse me if donuts sound good today." Carisi and Fin looked at each other before going back to working on their computers.

Their victim was resting in the hospital with a concussion, but they'd done the rape kit, and thankfully there was DNA. Olivia and Fin had interviewed her earlier, when she'd woken up, and she was able to give a small description of her attacker; white, as she'd seen his hands on her hips; shorter than her, she'd felt his breath in her upper back; and he was wearing a black hoodie and baseball cap, which she'd seen as he ran off before she passed out. She said she was about to go inside, on her way home from work, when she was pushed into the ally and behind the dumpster. Her head hit the wall, and she tried to turn around, but her attacker kept a hand on her neck, keeping her in place. He pulled down her jeans and panties, raped her from behind, then threw her on the ground, where she hit her head again, and he ran off. Her parents showed up later, and they insisted on staying at the hospital with her.

Olivia insisted that they look into guys in her classes, see who was shorter than their victim and white.

"I know it's not much to go on, but it's all we've got so far," she'd said. Rollins was just about to start calling the school, when she felt sick again. She covered her mouth and darted to the bathroom. She pushed a stall door open, lifted the toilet lid, and sat on her knees, emptying her stomach into the toilet.

"Amanda?" Carisi called into the bathroom. He appeared in the stall door, leaning against it, watching his girlfriend with concern. "Are you sure you're okay?" Amanda nodded, standing up and flushing the toilet.

"You've been throwing up all day, you're dizzy, and you're tired. Do you want me to take you home? Maybe you caught what Jesse had?" Amanda brushed past him, going to the sink and rinsing her mouth out with tap water. She spit into the sink, shaking her head.

"No, Carisi, I don't have what Jesse had," she sighed.

"How are you so sure?" Carisi asked, raising an eyebrow. "Isn't it the same exact symptoms?"

"Yes, except Jesse is a baby, and doesn't have a boyfriend," Amanda said slowly, turning around. Carisi looked at her, his eyebrows scrunched together, before his eyebrows shot into his hair line, eyes going wide.

"Amanda…"

"I'm pregnant, Carisi. And the baby is yours."


	4. Chapter 4

" _I'm pregnant, Carisi. And the baby is yours."_

Carisi leaned against the wall, running a hand through his hair.

"You're…you're sure?" Carisi asked, looking at Amanda with shock in his eyes.

"Yes," she nodded. "I went in for my physical, and she did blood tests. They confirmed I was. I found out this morning."

"That night I took you out to the pizza place? Is that when…?"

"I think so, yea. Based on how far along I am, that would make sense."

"How far along are you?"

"Nine weeks."

"Wow," Carisi sighed. He suddenly grinned and chuckled. "I'm gonna be a dad!" he cried happily. He pushed off from the wall and pulled Amanda into a hug, kissing her.

"You're not mad?" Amanda asked.

"Mad? Why would I be mad?" Carisi asked, looking confused.

"Well, I mean, with Declan…" Carisi grabbed Amanda's hands in his, bringing them up to kiss her knuckles.

"Listen to me," he said softly. "I'm not gonna be like Declan. I love you, more than I love anyone in this world. You and Jesse are my life right now, and soon," he dropped one of her hands and placed a comforting hand on her belly. "This baby will be a part of my life too. We're gonna be a family." He smiled, and Amanda blinked back tears. She quickly wiped her eyes and sniffled.

"Thank you, Carisi, that was really sweet," she said. He kissed her forehead and took her hand, pulling her out into the hall and into the squad room. "What are we doing?"

"We gotta tell, Liv," he explained, as if it were obvious. Amanda looked absolutely frightened.

"Carisi, you don't think she'll be mad?"

"Amanda, she was fine with your first pregnancy, wasn't she?"

"Well, yeah, but now Jesse is five months old, and I've been back, and…"

"And she'll be fine with it," Carisi assured her. "This kind of thing happens more often than you think." He knocked on Olivia's door, and when she looked up, they stepped inside.

"Hey, guys, what's going on?" she asked, taking off her glasses.

"We wanted to tell you something," Carisi said excitedly. He turned to Amanda, looking hopeful.

"I'm…I'm pregnant…again," Amanda stuttered out. Olivia grinned and laughed.

"Wow! Congratulations you guys!" she said, getting up and hugging them. "How long have you all been dating now? Three months?"

"Yes, three months," Carisi nodded.

"Well, I hope you two are excited, and I wish you the best of luck," she said.

"Thanks, Liv," Amanda said, smiling.

As they returned to the squad room, they got back to work on their case. Rose Casey's rapist had been caught; Shane Doore, a guy she went to school with, was the attacker. He'd had a crush on Casey since he'd seen her, but he was really creepy. He stalked Rose, and she'd asked him to stop, politely, several times. She was going to file a report with the police soon, she'd told her friend, and Shane had overheard, so he tried to scare Rose into not doing so.

The detectives were finishing up their reports, getting them ready for court. Barba was charging Shane with rape and attempted murder, as he'd bashed Rose's head into the wall and ground. Amanda, however, kept drifting to baby sites. She was looking at cribs and fixtures, when Carisi walked up behind her.

"Aww, you're looking at cribs," he cooed, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and kissing her cheek.

"Break it up, you two," Fin chuckled. "Jesse need a new crib?" he asked.

"No, I'm pregnant," Amanda said.

"Again?" Fin asked. She nodded, and Fin laughed, getting up to hug them. "Carisi! Congrats man!" he said, shaking his hand. "You're gonna be a great father."

"Thanks, Fin, I appreciate that."

"How far along are you?" Fin asked, pulling up from hugging Amanda.

"Nine weeks."

"When do you find out what you're having?"

"Twenty weeks, so about halfway through," she explained.

"Well, I wish you two the best of luck," he said.

"Thank you."

That night, Carisi went home with Amanda, and they sat together on the floor, playing with Jesse.

"You're gonna be a big sister, Jesse," Carisi cooed at her, handing her a rattle. Jesse snatched the rattle and shook it vigorously, giggling and drooling. Carisi smiled and chuckled, reaching over to tickle the baby briefly. Jesse giggled again, then started yawning. She fussed a little bit, banging the rattle on the floor.

"Someone's ready for bed," Amanda said, standing up and grabbing her daughter. Carisi followed her to Jesse's room, helping change Jesse's diaper and clothes while Amanda turned off the lights and got the baby's bottle. Once she was in her footy pajamas, Carisi handed the baby girl to her mother, and she rocked her and sang softly to her while feeding her her formula. Carisi stood in the doorway, leaning against it, watching Amanda lull Jesse to sleep. Soon enough, the baby was asleep, and Amanda stood up slowly, walked over to the crib, and put Jesse down. The pair backed out of the room, and softly shut the door.

"What do you wanna do now?" Amanda asked, leading Carisi into the kitchen. Carisi got out his phone.

"You think we can call my parents? Tell them?" he asked, holding it up. Amanda took a deep breath and nodded. She'd been over for a few Sunday dinners at the Carisi household since they started dating, and she was welcomed with open arms. His mother, Linda, _loved_ her; she was happy her baby boy finally found love at last. Bella, Teresa, and Gina all told her embarrassing stories about their brother from when he was younger. For once in her life, Amanda felt like she had a family.

"Hey, Junior!" a booming voice answered. Carisi had put the call on speaker. "How's it going?"

"Hey, Dad," Carisi grinned. "You're on speaker, Amanda's with me."

"Amanda, baby!" he cried. "How are you love?"

"I'm good, sir, thank you," she said.

"So, what's going on, son?" Dominick Sr. asked.

"Is Mom with you?" Sonny inquired.

"Yes, she's here, so are your sisters," he replied slowly.

"Do you know how to put the house phone on speaker, Dad?"

"Um…Bella, how do I put the phone on speaker?" They heard muffled voices and the sound of a button being pushed.

"You there, son?" his father shouted.

"Yeah, can you all hear us?"

"Loud and clear, little brother!" Bella shouted, laughing.

"Hi Amanda!" Teresa shouted.

"Hi everybody," Amanda said, smiling.

"So, Sonny, what's going on?" Linda asked.

"We have some news for you," he started, grinning. He looked over at Amanda, nodding.

"I'm…pregnant," she said slowly. There was a beat of silence, and then the other end of the phone erupted in cheers. Once it quieted down, his father spoke up.

"Sonny, good for you son," he said, a hint of joy in his voice. "Congratulations to the both of you."

"Thank you," Carisi and Amanda said in unison.

"Amanda, how far along are you?" his mother asked.

"According to my doctor, nine weeks," she answered.

"So she obviously doesn't know the sex yet," Teresa said. She would know; she was the one Carisi was always talking about when it came to babies. She was the mother of his niece, Abigail. The family murmured in agreement.

"Well, we'll let you get to sleep," Dominick Sr. said. "Thanks for calling us, son."

"You're welcome, Pop. Night everyone."

"Night, Sonny! Night Amanda!" everyone shouted back.

"Night," Amanda said. Carisi hung up, then turned to his girlfriend and gave her a kiss.

"Thanks for doing that with me," he smiled.

"Of course," Amanda said, stifling a yawn. "Can we go to bed?"

"Sure."

The pair got up and went to Amanda's room, quickly falling asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

As time seems to do when you're working and raising a family, time went by very fast for Amanda and Sonny. One minute, they were spending the night together every other day or so at Amanda's apartment, her being two months along in her pregnancy, and the next, Carisi was asking her to move in with him.

"What?" she said loudly, almost dropping her fork at dinner. They were out to eat at a little cafe for dinner, talking about Jesse's upcoming birthday. Amanda was seven months pregnant now, and they were keeping the sex of the baby a surprise. The talk had gone from the birthday party to Carisi's bomb of a question without warning.

"Sorry, I know we were talking about the party," Carisi half-grinned, reaching across the table to take her hand. "But I just…" he took a breath, looking into her eyes. "You know I love you right?"

"Of course, and I love you too," Amanda said sweetly, smiling, but failing to mask the confusion in her eyes.

"Then I want you and Jesse to move in with me. Please? My place is bigger, and I can turn my office into a bedroom for the kids. I just don't wanna have to alternate nights anymore. I wanna come home to you and my kids, and kiss you whenever I want, and fall asleep holding you, and wake up just like that every day." Amanda sat in stunned silence. No one had ever professed their love for her like this, and it almost scared her. But mostly, it made her wanna cry, because she couldn't believe she was so lucky.

"God, I'm trying not to cry," Amanda laughed, leaning back and fanning her eyes. She leaned forward again, shaking her head, and took both of Carisi's hands. "Of course we'll move in with you, baby." Carisi's face broke out into a huge grin, and he about jumped across the table to kiss her.

"I'm so excited now, you have no idea. I'm gonna get to come home to my girls every night. I'm gonna get started on the bedroom right away tonight.

And that he did. For the next couple weeks, Carisi moved everything out of his second bedroom/office, rearranged the living room to accommodate his desk and books, cleaned the room from top to bottom, and painted it a nice, sunshine yellow. Amanda and Jesse moved in the same weekend Amanda hit her 8 month mark in her pregnancy. Carisi insisted on hiring a moving crew so Amanda didn't have to even lift a finger, and he helped the guys bring things in, and unpacked and set up Jesse's room himself. He made sure to leave a space for the second crib, which they would be picking out tomorrow, followed by Amanda's baby shower the following weekend. Once they were settled for the most part, had a easy dinner of Chinese takeout, and slept through the night, they made their way to the store the next morning, and ended up picking a dark brown wooden crib that converted into a toddler bed for later on when the baby was bigger.

The baby shower the following weekend was beautiful. It was decorated in soft yellows and greens, with little ducks as the theme. Olivia, Noah, Sheila, Kim, Carisi's sisters and niece, and Amanda's mom came to their place carrying gifts and food, along with Fin, Barba, and Carisi's parents. They enjoyed copious amounts of Italian food, prepared by Linda Carisi, while Amanda and Sonny opened their gifts. The guys helped set up any furniture that was brought as a gift before the party ended, and Amanda was able to set up the crib bedding and changing table the way she wanted. Finally, when everything was done, she leaned against the door frame, admiring their handiwork - there was a crib on each wall, with a rocking chair in the corner between them, the changing table/dresser across from the baby's crib, and Jesse's clothes were on one side of the drawers, while the baby's were in another. She was so excited for this baby to be born.

One early summer evening, Carisi rolled over in bed, and felt for Amanda to pull her closer. But the spot was empty. He bolted upright, looking towards the bathroom, but it was dark.

"Amanda?" he called out.

"Sonny," he heard a panicked voice from the floor on her side of the bed. Carisi jumped up and ran over. She was on her hands and knees, in a puddle of…

"Did your water break?" Carisi asked, leaning down to place a hand on her back, offering her his hand. She nodded, slowly getting to her feet with his help. He squeezed her hand gently, helping her sit on the bed. "You just get yourself ready, I'll grab the bags and get Jesse ready, okay?" Amanda nodded, breathing hard and rubbing her belly. Carisi quickly got himself dressed, then went and woke Jesse to get her into her carseat - she would be spending the night with Teresa while they were at the hospital. Once he had Jesses buckled in with a new bottle, her set her diaper bag by the door, then grabbed the hospital bags from their room. Amanda was in a maxi dress, flips flops on and her hair in a ponytail.

"You ready, sweetheart?" he asked, lifting the duffle to his shoulder.

"Yeah, do you want me to carry anything?" she asked, shuffling towards the door.

"No, you just grab your purse and the keys, I've got Jesse, our bag, and her backpack on my back. I'm good." Amanda nodded, breathing through another contraction, and followed him outside and to the car. Once they were in, they sped off to Teresa's house, and dropped Jesse off with her and her cousin Abby. Then, Carisi got them to the hospital and checked in, wheeling Amanda in her chair to their room with the bag slung over him.

Carisi was what you could call a "model father" in the hospital during the birth - he helped Amanda change, and did everything he could to help her; he timed her contractions with her, helped her breath, rubbed her back if she asked, gave her as many ice chips as she wanted, walked with her in the hallway while holding her hand, and soon, that afternoon….

"Okay, Amanda, one more big push!" the doctor cried. Amanda grunted and cried out, pushing with all her might as Carisi and a nurse helped hold her legs back. "There we go, there we go! The baby is here!" They heard a gasp and then a wailing cry, and they looked up to see their little baby flailing and screaming, covered in blood and goop.

"What is it? Is it a boy or a girl?" Amanda asked, falling back against the bed but still trying to get a view of her baby.

"It's a boy," the nurse said, turning to smile at her, before turning back to the baby to clean him up. Carisi grinned excitedly and kissed Amanda's cheek, before running over to take pictures and cut the cord of his son. Amanda laughed quietly to herself and sighed, closing her eyes in content.

"Alright, here he is," the nurse said, coming over and handing Amanda a little bundle wrapped in a hospital blanket. She cradled him in her arms, smiling and stroking his chubby cheeks.

"Hi, baby," she said, tears leaking from her eyes. "Oh, you're so beautiful, baby boy." The little baby snuggled into Amanda's chest, staring up at her with wide eyes.

"Alright, Amanda, we have to take him to the nursery for recovery and the standard tests. Did you want Sonny to come with us? Or stay with you?"

"Oh, honey, would you go with him please? Olivia is downstairs, just text her to come up and she can stay with me."

"Will do, baby," he smiled, leaning down to kiss her. "I love you. You did great."

"I love you too." She watched the nurse and Carisi leave with their baby boy, then turned her attention back to the nurses cleaning and stitching her up. Olivia came up about 10 minutes later.

"Hey, Amanda," she grinned, leaning down and hugging her. "How's the baby?"

"He's doing great, Liv," she grinned.

"So it was a boy?" she asked excitedly.

"Yup," Amanda nodded. "Dominick Anthony Carisi III."

"That's a beautiful name. What are you planning on calling him?"

"Well, Senior is Dom, and Sonny is, well, Sonny," she laughed. "So we figured we'd call him Tony."

"I love it." They sat and chatted for a bit, until about an hour later Carisi and the nurse returned with the baby in his bassinet.

"Hey, Liv," Carisi greeted her, smiling and giving her a hug. "Thanks for coming."

"Oh it's my pleasure," she said. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. Can I see Tony?"

"Of course," he said, stepping to the side and back so Olivia could come up to the bassinet. She peered inside and smiled.

"Hi, Tony," she cooed, gently touching his cheek with her finger. "He looks just like you, Carisi," she commented. Little Tony yawned and blinked, opening his big eyes and staring at Olivia. "Oh but those are Amanda's blue grey eyes. He's beautiful you two. Congratulations."

"Thank you," Rollins and Carisi said in unison. Sonny looked from the bassinet to his girlfriend and grinned.

"You wanna hold him, babe?" Amanda smiled and nodded, scooting herself up for better support. Carisi lifted his son out and whispered sweet words to him as he carried him to Amanda. He gently placed Tony in her arms.

"Oh, God, babe, he's beautiful," she whispered, gently bouncing him. "Is it possible he's gotten more beautiful in the past hour?"

"Maybe," Carisi laughed. "He did great in the nursery. I even got to dress him," Carisi said, pulling the blanket a little so Amanda could open it to see his onesie. Amanda unraveled the blanket, and gasped.

"'Mommy, will you marry my Daddy?'" she read slowly. She looked up, and gasped again as she saw Carisi leaning down on one knee next to the bed, holding a beautiful ring in its box. Olivia was filming everything on her phone.

"Amanda Nicole Rollins, I love you so much, and you have given me the greatest gift any man could ever hope for, and that is my child," he started. "I promise to love Jesse as my own, and love you the way you deserve. I will take care of you and my kids as long as God gives me on this Earth. Will you _please_ do me the honor of marrying me?" Amanda cried, happy tears rolling down her cheeks, and nodded eagerly, reaching for Carisi. He grinned and leaned in, kissing her, before slipping the ring onto her finger.

"That was beautiful," Olivia said, wiping the corners of her eyes. "Congratulations a second time," she said, giving them each a quick hug. "I'm very happy for the both of you."

"Thanks, Liv," Amanda smiled. She turned and looked up at Carisi with all the love in her eyes. "I finally found love...at last."

 _ **18 months later**_

"Oh, look, here they come," Barba whispered to Carisi. They were standing up on the steps of the stage in Carisi's church with Fin and the pastor. Barba was Carisi's best man, and Olivia was currently walking down the aisle as Amanda's maid of honor. Following her was Kim, and then Noah and Abigail appeared, Abigail throwing down rose petals and Noah carrying a pillow with the rings. He stepped up to Barba and handed them to him, before taking a seat with Abby in their pew. Jesse and Tony appeared last, Jesse now a little over 2 ½, and Tony being 1 ½. They were holding a sign between them that said "Daddy, here comes Mommy!" They ran up to Carisi, who bent down and gave them each a big hug and kiss before having them join Noah and Abby. Then, the music swelled to indicate the start of the bridal march, and everyone stood up, and Carisi swallowed hard. The doors opened, and he felt his heart stop.

There was Amanda, in a strapless lace dress with a cream sash tied around her waist, a soft veil covering her face, carrying a bouquet a peonies. He felt tears come to his eyes, and he turned, covering his face with his hands. He turned back, his hands covering his mouth as she walked. He took them down and wiped his eyes, but tears still trickled. He grinned as she got closer and closer, until finally he felt like his face was going to split. He took her hand and brought her up to the top of the stage to join them.

The ceremony was traditional, the way Carisi was raised, but Amanda didn't care, as long as she got to marry her best friend. They kissed to tons of applause and cheers from their family and friends, and after taking tons of photos, lined up to be announced into the reception.

"Alright, alright, everyone, please take your seats, we are going to announce our lovely bridal party at this time," the DJ announced. The murmur of excitement was evident over the music. "Alright, first, we have our oldest flower girl and ring bearer. Please welcome Abby Carisi and Noah Benson!" Abby and Noah walked in, hamming it up by waving to everyone - Abby even blew a few kisses, her little diva shining. "Now, we have our groomsman and bridesmaid. You all know him as Fin, but we're gonna use his real name for this - please welcome Odafin Tutuola, and the bride's sister, Kim Rollins!" Fin escorted Kim in on his arm, until they were they needed to be to to take their place on the edge of the dance floor. "And now for our Best Man and Maid of Honor! Please welcome Rafael Barba and Olivia Benson!" The pair walked in, grinning and smiling at everyone, meeting Kim and Fin on the edge. "And here comes the family of the hour, ladies and gentlemen. You know them, you love them, you are here _for_ them, here are Jesse, Tony, Sonny, and Amanda Carisi!" Everyone cheered and clapped as the little family walked in holding hands. When they got to the middle of the dance floor, Olivia and Kim took Jesse and Tony to the side, and Sonny gathered Amanda in his arms as "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran started to play.

"I can't believe we're finally married," Amanda grinned, talking low enough so only she and Carisi could hear.

"I'm so happy we are," Sonny grinned. "You look beautiful by the way, if I haven't said that enough already."

"Three times now, last I checked," she giggled. "But on a serious note, I just wanted to say thank you, Sonny."

"For what, babe?" he asked, his eyebrows scrunched together. She brought up a hand to caress his cheek.

"For being you," she said softly. "You being you is the reason we're standing here today. I don't know where I'd be if you hadn't picked up my broken pieces and put me back together," she said. "You loved me still, broken and all, and didn't once get mad or run. You did it all with patience and care. And on top of that, you've loved and adopted my daughter, like she's your flesh and blood. You're the best father I ever could've asked for for my children."

"You're welcome, Amanda," he whispered, his face splitting into a grin. "I'd do it all again any time, any day, no matter what. And you know why?"

"Why?" He pulled her close and took her chin between his thumb and forefinger.

"Because I love you with all of my heart," he whispered, before tilting her head up to meet her in a soft kiss. And that was just the beginning of the next chapter in their love story...


End file.
